The Bruins have earned their first shutout of Pac-12 play.
“We’ve always been trying to have clean sheets against top teams, and we’ve struggled with it,” said senior defender Pablo Greenlee. “To come out against Washington, the team that historically beats us in the past few years – it’s everything.”
UCLA men’s soccer (7-3-3, 4-0-2 Pac-12) picked up the second victory of the day at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Thursday, defeating Washington (5-6-5, 2-4-2) by a score of 1-0.
Without usual starters graduate students midfielder Ryan Becher and forward Jack Sarkos, coach Ryan Jorden mixed up the starting lineup. He opted for a five-back formation – something he’s done for portions of previous games – with senior Grayson Doody sliding into right center back and Greenlee at right back.
“A lot of teams are trying to press us with two forwards,” Greenlee said. “Having three center backs lets me go higher and try to break the corner and break their entire press.”
Throughout the game, Jorden played 15 different players, including eight across the back line.
Jorden said the biggest difference between the starters and the substitutes was simply experience. The fifth-year coach played two freshmen as outside backs in the second half.
“It shows the depth and quality that we have,” Jorden said. “I thought everybody who came on did exactly what we needed them to do.”
Energy was high in the final few moments of the game as the Bruins attempted to hold onto the win.
Graduate student midfielder Sean Karani said the eleven players on the field fed off the energy coming from the sidelines.
“So contagious,” Karani said. “When the bench is rowdy and the crowd is rowdy, it gives all the players on the field that extra boost. Famous saying – the twelfth man. With that crowd right behind us, just feel invincible.”
Following a 10-shot first half, Karani scored the team’s lone goal just two minutes into the second half to put the Bruins up by one. Redshirt junior forward Jose Contell tapped the ball forward and dodged the defender and broke down the line, where he sent a cross into the box.
The first runner into the box left the ball for Karani, who slotted it into the bottom left of the goal. Karani gave full credit to his teammate for creating the goal.
“He (Contell) beat his guy, big credit to him,” Karani said. “He’s a big reason we scored the goal. I had the easy job. So if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would have happened.”
Karani’s goal tied him with Becher for second on the team with four on the season. It also marks his highest single-season tally of his career.
“Every time he (Karani) picked it up, he was a handful for people,” Jorden said. “He was dynamic, he asked questions of the defense on the dribble. I thought it was a really good performance.”
The win marks the first time since 2015 that the Bruins have won both matches against the Huskies.
Next up on UCLA’s slate is a 3 p.m. fixture Sunday against current Pac-12 points leader Oregon State.
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